City council hears concerns over proposed development

Submitted by admin on Wed, 09/13/2017 - 10:51am

Shown above is a tentative rendering of what the exterior of the proposed apartment complex at 801 7th Street would look like, though the renderings are subject to change. (Photo courtesy of Echo Development Group)

GRUNDY CENTER – The proposed development of a five-plex apartment building on the former First Baptist Church lot could help the city recoup money spent purchasing, abating and demolishing the old church, but neighbors to the property aren’t convinced the new development is the right fit for the area.

Back in July, the city sold the 801 7th Street lot to Echo Development group out of Cedar Falls. The developers expressed interest in building a five-plex apartment building, and submitted initial plans that detailed the structure.

On Monday night, several citizens voiced concerns about the proposed apartment complex during the Grundy Center City Council meeting, as the city council held the first reading of an ordinance to rezone the property from R1 (single and double family residential) to R2 (multi family residential).

Kay Graham who lives next to the former Baptist Church property, says she is glad the city removed the old church, but that she would prefer to see something else take it’s place.

“I lived next to that big church for 25 years, and now that it’s finally gone, I’m loving the openness, but I’m a little concerned about what might be going [up on the lot],” Graham said. “I think some housing would work, but it has to be housing that would fit there. I think the large apartments would probably be too overwhelming for the area, and I would like to have something that would not be so confining there. I think we all need to have some openness there and something that’s attractive for the community.”

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